Beauty and Two Beasts
by My Lady Catherine
Summary: “'You smell,' Angel pointed out to Spike. 'You have a large forehead.'”
1. Bygones

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine but the plot. They all belong to the godlike Joss.

A/N: I know it's short, but it's a bit of a teaser. This is AU, and I hate to say it, but I really haven't seen that many Angel episodes. Just enough to have gotten the general idea. But I'm a die hard Buffy tVS fan, so this is also drawing from that. I couldn't decide which category it would fit best under, so I decided on Angel.

And I'm also looking at the word "bygones", and it just looks like something from biology class, so here's a definition for anyone who doesn't know. _Bygone: 1. Existing or having happened a long time ago 2. Something that happened, existed, or was manufactured a long time ago (often used in the plural)_

Chapter 1: Bygones

Spike and Angel were at it again. The century long argument, the one that had started shortly after Angel had opened that fateful box. There would never be a winner, only a violent fight that Angel would ultimately win, and then the awkward silence that always followed. How many years on this earth and they had never come to a conclusion? For Angel, 300 something? And Spike not quite as many? Still, they are the oldest vampires around; one would think they'd act a little more mature.

"I'm telling you, cavemen have gut instinct, but astronauts only have technology."

"Yes, and technology will always win out over brute strength." Angel was really tired of this argument. And anyway, he was right.

"No, I think you're just keeping this up to be the poof you are," was Spike's I-can't-think-of-a-comeback reply.

"Excuse me." Both Spike and Angel turned to face the wrinkly man sitting behind them. "Could you keep it down? My granddaughter is sleeping." He gestured to the young girl next to him whose head was slumped against the window.

"She wouldn't be asleep if she wasn't out past her beddy-bye time," Spike muttered loud enough for Angel to hear, but not enough for the old man.

"Just shut it." Angel turned away to look out the window of the train that was hurling at an incredible speed. At the strangest times he would find himself surprised at the way technology had advanced. And then at the same time the things that would never change would remind him. Like Spike's coat for example. Angel turned to look at the vile thing as his thoughts were drawn to it. After over a century of use, the idiot refused to take it off. Sure, it looked presentable from a distance, but if one got close, she or he'd notice holes, tears, and places were holes and tears were messily sewn together. When Angel had once asked Spike why he insisted on keeping it, he'd told him: "I can't get rid of it. Sod off." For some reason, Angel actually respected that. To an extent.

"You smell," Angel pointed out to Spike.

"You have a large forehead."

Angel ignored the overused comment. "It's the coat. It's beginning to smell. I'll bet that little girl can smell you in her sleep. She's probably having a night mare right now about a smelly swamp monster."

Before Spike could reply, the train began to slow down. A fancily dressed man poked his head through a window up front and called, "Last stop, Sunnydale!"

----End-Chapter----

Okay, what are your thoughts? I realize it's a short start, but I don't want to put a whole lot of effort into something people aren't going to like. So, yay or nay? To continue or not continue, that is the question.


	2. Welcome Again To The Hellmouth

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine but the plot. They all belong to the godlike Joss.

(PS. If you are opposed to the word 'hell' in anyway, be forewarned that it is actually a part of the word '_hell_mouth'. I think that's fair warning.)

A/N: Chapter two! Yay! I'd like you all to keep in mind I've seen very little "Angel", so I really don't know if some of the things I put in even make sense. I'm going on the idea that Spike has never seen the crater that was Sunnydale, although he'd heard stories about how it looks. What I do know is everything that happened on "Buffy". Anything that happened on Angel that doesn't fit with what I put here, just pretend you don't notice.

Oh, and another thing that I can't figure out. Someone, somewhere told me that Angel could walk around in the sunlight. I don't know if this is true or not, so I am writing on the basis that it's not. Just so you know.

Chapter 2: Welcome (Again) to the Hellmouth

Stepping off of the train and into the dark, Spike threw his small bag of belongings over his shoulder. Angel, with his even smaller bag, took a few brochures from the man handing them out and checked for a near hotel. Spike stood for a moment, taking in his surroundings. He wondered how they had explained the giant crater that had once been what was left of the place he'd called home. The people around him now wouldn't know. It was before their time.

"Hey Spike, check this out," Angel said, handing Spike the brochure.

The headline screamed in big bold letters: **_The Sights of Sunnydale! _**It went on about museums, clubs, hotels, and other crap that Spike couldn't have cared less about. But turning to the last page, he saw what Angel must have been talking about.

_See the giant, unexplainable crater that was the original Sunnydale. Wonder at how an entire town can be swallowed whole by the earth…. _It went on, but Spike stopped reading to look at the picture. It was of a place he'd been to but had never seen. It wasn't Sunnydale. Not the place that he'd spent the best few years of his vampiric existence. This was just a big hole. He looked up at Angel, but Angel had moved on to talk to some worker about hotels. _Still say we should stay in a crypt, _he thought bitterly. While fond thoughts of his old place came to mind, Angel beckoned for Spike to follow him.

----

At the hotel, both men were trying to get some sleep after the long train ride from New York, where they'd stayed on business. Some demon was trying to destroy the world. They'd gotten there by plane, but their plans to take the plane home changed after they started talking about good old Sunny-D. It was Angel who proposed they check out what they'd done with the place, but Spike wasn't so sure. Traumatic memories and all; plus last time he'd left and then come back, he'd gotten that chip in his head, and that wasn't something he wanted to relive. But Angel had talked him into, so here they were. Their plans were to take in the sights, maybe kill a few demons, and then head back to LA, where Angel was still head of his demon-fighting agency. (See A/N) They might stay a night or two, and then leave. Spike had this funny feeling though, that things may not go according to plan.

"Do you hear that?" Spike stood up from the couch to look out the window.

"No," was Angel's immediate reply. Truth was, he was reading a book and didn't really care what Spike was going to go off on next.

"I'm serious, mate. I swear I can hear some bird screaming like she's seen a ghost." Opening the window, Spike poked his head out the space and glanced around, and then down. "Angel, come look."

Angel slowly got up from his sitting position on the bed and scanned the hotel parking lot. "I don't see anything."

Just as he was getting ready to return to his book, Spike grabbed his arm. "See, look! There. That woman is being chased by something."

"You're right. I hate it when you're right," he replied in typical Angel annoyance. But before he could even think to go help her out—as it was his job—someone else had already gotten involved. In a flash, a hooded person leapt out from behind a car, staked the vamp that was pursuing the girl, and was gone. Angel's eyes were wide as he took in the scene.

"I'd say there's a new Slayer in Sunnydale," Spike remarked. "Doesn't surprise me, what with it being all hell-mouthy."

"Is it still a hellmouth?" Angel asked, mostly to himself. "I would have thought that would be gone after that last battle."

"Don't be a stupid git. A hellmouth is a hellmouth, no matter what you put in it," Spike answered self-assuredly. And even though he wasn't quite correct, he had the right idea. A hellmouth _is _a hellmouth, no matter what you take **out**of it.

----

The next day, Angel and Spike—obviously—stayed in. As always, they did their best not to annoy the hell out of each other.

Sitting on the spinning chair near the computer, Spike noticed something shiny on the ground. Leaning over to pick it up, he saw what it was. "Hey, a lucky penny!" Out of habit, he checked the date. _2099. Wow, I'm getting old._ Spike scowled. _But Angel will always be older._ He shot a hateful glare at the unaware man who was again reading that godforsaken book.

"What are you always, reading, anyway?" Spike asked spitefully.

"It's Nietzsche, you wouldn't understand," Angel replied without taking his eyes from the pages.

"Is he a vampire?" Spike asked half interestedly.

"He was. Killed by a Slayer."

"Aren't we all?" Spike turned back to his penny. There was talk of changing the face on the front from this ugly guy to someone more attractive. Spike hoped so. Who cares about some guy who lived over two centuries ago?

----End-Chapter----

And let's leave it at that! It's still shorter than your usual chapter, but I think you can expect them to get longer, and hopefully better. I've actually completed a few later chapters already, and I know how I want it to end, so I just need to write more to fill in the spaces. (Not 'filler', per say, just not the climax :D ) I just wish I knew more about "Angel". I'm thinking about changing this to the "Buffy tVS" section, just because I at least know what went on there.

I'd love to hear what you'll think of it so far. Constructive criticism? Criticism in general? Love or hate?

Fun fact? Right before I typed the word 'end' I'd made a total of 99 lines and 999 spaces. Weird, right?


End file.
